Strawberries in Snow
by District Thirteen
Summary: Anyone who saw what I was up to would inform on me without hesitation. Everyone is anxious to earn the favor of Romulus Thread. My hatred for him gives me a new drive and I pick up my pace. I have to get this to Gale before it's too late. CF SPOILERS!


**_WARNING: CF SPOILERS!!!!!! DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT IF YOU VALUE YOUR NON-SPOILERED LIFE!  
_**

**A/N: honestly, I think I wrote this because there's no love for Madge/Gale. I don't necessarily ship it myself, but I do think it deserves a little more credit than it's been getting. And I'm so sorry to the people who voted GxK on my poll, because between this and The Odds I must really be annoying you by now XD**

There's snow all around me, swirling and spiraling through the crisp night air. Blonde locks whipping against frozen cheeks. White wind slicing at a pounding heart.

I'll be honest- I'm afraid. I'm putting myself into jeopardy to do this. Anyone who saw what I was up to would inform on me without hesitation. Everyone is anxious to earn the favor of Romulus Thread.

Thread. I'll kill that man, I swear. My hatred gives me a new drive and I pick up my pace. I have to get this to Gale before it's too late.

It seems like he's always looked down on me. But I guess he has his reasons. He sees me as a soft girl, living a life of comfort as the mayor's daughter. What would he know of my mother's chronic illness? What would he know of my father, who doesn't seem to realize I exist?

But, to be fair, what would _I _know of _his_ sufferings? Now, after seeing the whipping in the square, I know a lot. And I'm finally going to repay my debt to him. My debt that consists of so much more than strawberries sold on our doorstep.

I know I've almost reached the house now. I hear the worried voices speaking in hushed, low tones. I see the lights shining in the windows, pushing back the dark that has settled over the village.

I knock.

Katniss comes to the door. We exchange a glance. She takes the medicine without a word, and that's all there is. That and a glimpse of Gale's mutilated back, a sight still swimming in front of my eyes when the door closes.

And I am alone again.

I'm not really sure where to go now- certainly not back home. I don't know why, but I stay. Maybe I was expecting something more than this for my heroism. So I crouch in the snow by the side of the house, waiting for anything to happen.

I decide to listen to the conversations taking place in the house. Maybe I'll find out more about Gale's condition. A few seconds of silence while they wait, assuming I will leave, and then I catch the word "strawberries". My cheeks flush, and it has nothing to do with the cold.

The snow is pouring down relentlessly. I step under a nearby tree for shelter.

And suddenly, I have an idea.

I rest my hands in the crook of a branch and haul myself up. The bark is wet and slippery, but Katniss showed me how to climb once, and I'm determined not to let her be better than me this time. She's my friend, but clearly there are some things we're going to have to compete for.

I'm not sure how long it took, but finally I've reached the top of the tree. I spot an open window and reach to close it. And then I see him.

He's lying there on the bed, unconscious, angry red welts all up and down his back. So coated in dried blood that I couldn't tell you the color of his skin. Sweat lends his matted hair a dark sheen in the soft light.

Gale.

He stirs slightly, moaning faintly in his sleep. He begins to speak. "Katniss? Are you there?"

"Yes," I say, even though I've learned the hard way that it never helps to dream, to pretend I'm someone I'm not, to pretend I'm someone he loves. "Yes, I'm right here for you."

He turns over, facing towards me now, and my heart breaks because even though his back is out of sight, in the other direction, the pain is so palpable on his face.

Katniss would know what to do. Katniss always knows what to do. And then I remember. I am Katniss. Or I have to be. For now.

Peeta fell for her voice, didn't he? Her song. But I have only heard her once.

I start to sing.

_"Deep in the meadow, under the willow _

_A bed of grass, a soft green pillow _

_Lay down your head, and close your eyes _

_And when they open, the sun will rise."_

I know my voice isn't the best, but it seems to comfort him. He's smiling now, even unconscious as he is, and I feel a warmth spreading through me.

_"Here it's safe, and here it's warm _

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm _

_Here your dreams are sweet_

_And tomorrow brings them true _

_Here is the place where I love you." _

Gale is almost reaching out now, as if to touch the melody, as if each note was tangible. I go on.

_"Deep in the meadow, hidden far away_

_A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray _

_Forget your woes and let your troubles lay _

_And when again it's morning, they'll wash away."_

I'm not sure how much more there is to the lullaby, but this is the last verse I know. I do my best to put heart and soul into the final stanza- because I'm not Katniss Everdeen. I want him to know that someone else cares about him too. I want him to know that I am Madge Undersee.

_"Here it's safe, and here it's warm _

_Here the daisies guard you from every harm _

_Here your dreams are sweet_

_And tomorrow brings them true _

_Here is the place where I love you." _

I start to slide down the trunk. Somehow-- maybe he has a hunter's instincts even in his sleep-- he hears the wet impact of snow-covered bark on skin, the sound of my retreat. "Don't go," Gale's voice rings out in the darkness. "I love you."

My heart quickens. Could Gale Hawthorne have said that to me? Was he referring to Katniss, the one I pretended to be? Or could his words have been meant for the girl behind the lullaby?

Someone must have heard those final words. There's the sound of footsteps on the stairs. A door creaking open. A glimpse of Katniss Everdeen's dark hair.

She moves towards the window. Our eyes meet. Am I imagining that mocking politeness in her smile?

The window closes a little too sharply, and I am alone again.

I spend my trip home thinking only of strawberries in the snow. I glance around me, seeing my district in a new light. Despite the dark, I can make out every building. The Mellarks' bakery. The Hob. Further off, the Seam. District Twelve.

And suddenly I remember the last line of the song. I let the notes out into the night air, wondering if Gale can hear me from the Everdeens' new home.

"_Here is the place where I love you._"

**you know, i liked this ship more and more as i wrote it XD i'm not sure if i love it, but clearly something is going to happen in the next book. SC was setting it up so gale wouldn't be totally alone when team peeta triumphed (oh yeah, I WENT THERE)**


End file.
